Bishkek, August 31, 2026: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek on Monday, discussing ways to deepen the Pakistan-Uzbekistan strategic partnership with a focus on trade, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed warm felicitations to President Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan on the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence.
Recalling President Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Pakistan in February 2026, the Prime Minister said the visit and the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council had provided fresh momentum to bilateral relations and elevated the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Shehbaz stressed the need for timely implementation of decisions taken at the leadership level, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation.
The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan and Uzbekistan’s shared objective of increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion by 2029, calling for effective implementation of the expanded Preferential Trade Agreement, stronger business-to-business engagement and promotion of mutually beneficial joint ventures.
Regional connectivity was identified as a key strategic priority, with Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighting the transformative potential of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway in connecting Central and South Asia and providing Uzbekistan with access to Pakistan’s seaports.
He emphasised the importance of making early progress on the Joint Feasibility Study for the railway project and increasing utilisation of existing multimodal transport corridors.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to facilitate Uzbek trade through its ports and transport infrastructure, saying improved connectivity would help unlock greater regional trade and economic opportunities.
The two leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, digital technologies, education, culture, defence and security.
Shehbaz supported enhanced air connectivity between the two countries and welcomed progress towards establishing direct Tashkent-Karachi flights, which he said would further facilitate trade, tourism and people-to-people contacts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated Uzbekistan’s support for Pakistan’s forthcoming chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State and expressed his desire to work closely with Tashkent on regional security, connectivity, trade and sustainable development.
The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation through the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and other multilateral forums.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its strategic partnership with Uzbekistan and translating the strong political relationship between the two countries into tangible economic benefits for their peoples.
Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar were also present during the meeting.
